Osama bin Laden purportedly claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day attempted bomb attack against a US plane in a new audio tape aired Sunday on an Al Jazeera television station.

The tape, which has not been independently confirmed to be from Mr. bin Laden, suggests that the leader of Al Qaeda will use such attacks to raise his own profile even if he was not involved in the planning or execution.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian, has been indicted on six counts by a US grand jury stemming from his alleged attempt to blow up a jetliner as it neared Detroit on Dec. 25. Al Qaeda’s Yemen affiliate, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, previously claimed responsibility for the attack, and Mr. Abdulmutallab told officials after his arrest that he obtained his explosive device and training in Yemen.